Forest of the Vilishkis
by Trufreak89
Summary: The Doctor and Amy encounter a young River on one of her excavations...but River doesn't believe it's the Doctor, and someone or something is attacking her and her team.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Forest of the Vilishkis

**Summary: **The Doctor and Amy encounter a young River on one of her excavations...but River doesn't believe it's the Doctor and someone or something is attacking her team.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything related to the show...shame.

**Rating:** K+ at the moment (Will be T/M later)

**A/N:** So I've written a few River/Amy fics now, but nothing very long so I'm starting what I hope will be quite a long story. This is set after the events of Cold Blood (so no Rory...makes this pairing a little easier).

"What the hell is going on?" Amy screamed as the TARDIS lurched from side to side, violently tossing her and the Doctor about like rag dolls. She steadied herself against one of the railings, desperately clinging on for dear life.

"Don't panic!" The Doctor hung upside down from the console by his feet. "It'll be fine in a minute!" He struggled to pull himself up and began pushing random colourful buttons.

"Don't panic?" Amy snapped. "Don't panic? You're hanging upside down by your feet, and I'm doing roley-poley's all over the place! Fix it!"

"Fixing it!" The Doctor snapped back, struggling to hold on to his sonic screwdriver as the TARDIS took another sharp lunge to the right." Amy began to feel sea sick as the TARDIS went in to another spin.

"Doctor!"

The second the TARDIS made its emergency landing Amy raced for the door. She fell to her knees on the soil, gasping for air as she tried not to heave. The grass was damp beneath her knees yet the air was hot and sticky, which didn't help her nausea much. "You've got some serious sucking up to do mister!" Her eyes snapped open as she heard an explosion off in the distance.

"Mysterious explosions? How's that for excitement?" The Doctor grinned as he took hold of her hand and raced off to find the source of the explosion.

"Rio was more what I had in mind!" Amy snapped as she raced to keep up with him.

They ran through a dense forest, the wet branches whipping against their faces as the Doctor homed in on the smell of burning. They came to a clearing and Amy let go of his hand. "I'll catch up!" She panted as she fell to the floor and tried to catch her breath. She clamped her eyes shut as her head began to spin. She hated the running part.

"My my. What have we here?"

Her gaze darted up as a familiar silky voice reached her ears. "River!" She lost her smile as she found herself staring in to the barrel of a blaster. "River?"

"River? What in blue blazes are you doing?" The Doctor appeared behind Amy, apparently not having gone very far. He warily eyed River Song as she stood over his companion with her gun drawn. The young woman scowled as she looked between Amy and Doctor.

"Who are you? And how do you know my name?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh! Oh, look at you!" The Doctor broke out in a grin as he took in the sight of a rather young River Song. Her tight blonde curls were pulled back in a no nonsense way and her clothes were more utility than fashion. Though she still managed to make dessert combat pants and a tight black T-shirt look good. "How old are you?"

"None of your business! Now I'll ask you again, who are you?"

"River it's us!" Amy protested as she scrambled to her feet. "Why doesn't she recognise us?"

"Look at her!" The Doctor's arms flailed as he excitedly pointed towards the blonde. "She's barely older than you! You've never met me before have you?"

"If I had would I be asking who you are?" River snapped, with all the impatience of youth.

"I'm the Doctor-"

He jumped as River let off a shot, inches away from his head. Amy defensively stood before him. "What was that for?"

"I don't like liars." The young blonde took a step closer, her eyes glued to the Doctor. "You are not the Doctor!"

"I am!" A second shot nearly took his left foot off. "Please listen to me! I obviously haven't gotten around to mentioning the re-generation yet and-" Another, even closer shot, went off.

"He is!" Amy echoed, defiantly staring River down. The blonde's attention was drawn towards the fiery redhead as she stepped in front of the Doctor. The Doctor took a tentative step forward, to try and get Amy beside him; or even better behind him.

"And who might you be?" The blonde trained her weapon on Amy instead, letting her know exactly who was in charge.

"Why? Are you going to shoot me too?"

"Amy!" The Doctor snapped at his young companion's careless attitude. River Song was not yet the woman the Doctor knew. This younger version of River was far more unpredictable. The last thing he needed was for Amy to get herself killed and change all of their histories. "This is Amy Pond. And I _am_ the Doct-" His words were drowned out by a second explosion. This time much closer. He reached out for Amy, conscious of the debris flying past their heads. River had beat him to it and had her arm over the younger woman as they crouched to the ground.

Once the earth stopped moving and bits of rock stopped flying past the three of them tentatively got back to their feet. "What was that?" The Doctor frowned as he went to whip out his sonic screwdriver to examine the debris to determine what had caused the explosion. When he came up empty handed her began to frantically search all of his pockets. He had left his screwdriver in the TARDIS, and somehow he didn't think River would let him tottle off and get it.

"None of your business!" River snapped. "If you're here to ambush my dig you've chosen the wrong-" She trailed off as she realised she was no longer holding her gun. Amy stood in front of both of them, one hand holding the gun and the other on her hip.

"You were saying?" Her lips held a confident smirk as River and the Doctor both registered what was going on.

"Put that down Pond!" The Doctor barked. "You'll have someone's eye out-"

Amy screamed as River lunged forward, knocking her to ground. The gun was wrestled from her in seconds. The Doctor took a step forward, but was stopped as River aimed the gun at him. Amy was still beneath her, her hands pinned above her head by one of River's. Her cheeks were red and flustered, more from the embarrassment of being tackled than anything else. "Right you two. You've got some explaining to do."

River got to her feet and smirked as Amy followed suit, dusting herself down while staring daggers at the blonde archeologist. She frog marched the two of them towards the sight of the explosion. Within a few minutes they were standing on the edge of a dig site. Floodlights filled a large clearing in the forest. The light bounced off the stark white tents dotted around the site. There were rectangular trenches all around, cordoned off by tape. Several people were running around the dig site, fetching water and trying to put out a group of trees that the explosion had set on fire. The second explosion had hit one of the trenches and another group were trying to salvage what they could from it.

River clenched her teeth as she rounded on the Doctor. "I hope you're happy with yourselves!" The Doctor looked astounded by the insinuation that he had had anything to do with the explosions.

"We didn't do this-"

"Come off it!" River snapped as she shoved the barrel of the gun in to the Doctor's back to keep him moving. "I caught you both running away in the forest. We're in the middle of nowhere, the only people around for miles are my team! So unless you chartered a private flight I don't know how you got here, but I know why you're here! And I won't allow anyone to sabotage this dig!" Her angry tirade gave the Doctor no room to get a word in edgeways, though he tried, as they were shoved towards the largest tent.

"Doctor Song!" An older man with salt and pepper hair approached them. His face was covered in suit and sweat from fighting the fire. "We've managed to put both of the fires out, but we've lost most of trench two...are these the ones who caused the explosions?"

"No!" Both Amy and the Doctor spoke at once. River shot them both a glare to silence them.

"Maybe. I'm not sure Doug. I found them running away in the forest."

"We weren't running away! We were running to the explosion-" River rolled her eyes as Amy began protesting again. In one fluid, and seemingly practiced notion, she whipped off her belt and spun Amy around, pulling her hands behind her back and tying the belt firmly around them.

"Oi!" The Doctor took a step forward, only to have Doug manhandle him. He followed suit and tied his belt around the Doctor's hands.

"Move." River growled at Amy, shoving her forward as she kept a firm grip on her hands. "Take them to the main tent. I'll interrogate them there!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Right, everyone comfortable?" River teased, pointedly looking at the young woman she had tied to the main support of the tent. Amy sat on the floor, her skirt covered in mud and her tights ripped from falling over after the second blast. Her shoulders ached from the way River had tied her arms behind her back. Not that she would give the older woman the satisfaction of complaining. She was starting to seriously dislike the other woman.

The Doctor was sat on an upturned crate, with Doug standing over him, a gun in his hands. The Doctor seriously disliked guns. "There really is no need for all of this River. I can prove I'm the Doctor-"

"So prove it." River stood in front of them with her arms crossed and a no-nonsense expression on her young face.

"There's the TARDIS." The Doctor offered. "Which is back in the woods. So we could just take a walk and-"

"Escape? Not going to happen." River snapped.

"What about the sonic screwdriver? Just show her that and-"

"Amy." The Doctor's voice took on a warning tone as River's interest peeked.

"Just show her the screwdriver Doctor! That proves you are who you say you are!"

"And I don't have it!" The Doctor growled in frustration. "I left it in the TARDIS."

River smirked as she looked between her two prisoners. "How very convenient."

"This is ridiculous! River you have to trust me! We didn't cause any explosions!" As if to highlight his point another deafening bang sounded outside. The far side of the main tent caught fire. "Untie us!" The Doctor screamed as the fire began to take hold of the canvas. Doug ran towards the fire with a blanket and tried to stamp it out. River reached for a large container of water and ran over to help.

"River!" The Doctor screamed at her for help as he struggled to free himself. "Let us go, now!" As more people ran in to help fight the blaze River fell back and finally listened to the Doctor. She pulled out a switchblade from her boot and cut through Doug's leather belt, freeing the Doctor's hands from the heavy metal crate he had been tied to.

He immediately ran over to help the others put out the fire before it could destroy all of the supplies inside the tent. Forgetting all about Amy. River watched as the Doctor ran around trying to find something to put the fire out with before turning to Amy. She cut through the thick material of her belt and offered the younger girl her hand to help her up. Amy begrudgingly took it and was pulled to her feet. She gasped as River pulled something out of her pocket, something silver Amy had seen on the table when they'd walked in, and clamped it around Amy's neck.

"What the hell River?" Amy stared down at the silver choker clamped around her neck. A glowing red orb hung from the chain like a ruby. "Pretty, but still!"

"Relax Amy." River grinned as Amy began pulling at the choker to take it off. It did not budge. "And I'd stay close if I were you."

"What have you done?" The Doctor appeared beside River and glared at the jewellery around Amy's neck. River smirked at him in response. "That's a compliance collar! They're illegal in this solar system!"

"Compliance collar?" Amy's eyes widened and she doubled her efforts to remove the choker. River simply laughed the Doctor's words off.

"You sure sound like the Doctor. Really sweetie, relax. If you tamper with it it will release a small electrical charge. It won't be pleasant."

"Take it off River!" Both the Doctor and Amy demanded in unison.

"No." The older blonde replied matter-of-factly. "There are two options here. Either you are the bombers and your friends are setting off more to try and get you, or you are the Doctor and when we go out in to the woods we'll find the TARDIS. If it turns out you're not the Doctor, then having your young friend linked to me with a compliance collar should give you second thoughts about trying to escape."

"What's she talking about Doctor? What is this thing?" Amy had stopped tugging at the collar, and was instead staring daggers at River.

"A compliance collar Pond, is used on some planets to induce obedience in prisoners and...slaves. If you go more than ten feet from River it will deliver a charge, much like a tazer."

"Five feet actually." There was a twinkle in River's eye as she began walking away from the pair. "I'd keep up if I were you sweetie."

Amy wasn't entirely sure how far five feet was, so as their small group made their way through the forest she made sure to stick close to River. The blonde was certainly younger than Amy had ever seen her. She watched her watch the Doctor with eagle eyes. She seriously seemed to distrust the man who led them. How different was he to her Doctor? Amy tried to think of what it would be like to meet the Doctor as a different man. What would it be like to meet a Doctor who was not her Raggedy Doctor?

"How are you doing Pond?" Her Doctor called over his shoulder, not bothering to turn around as he navigated his way through the dense undergrowth.

"Just peachy." She called back and couldn't help but tug at her collar.

"Careful." River scorned as she caught the younger woman playing with the collar. There was a genuine hint of concern in her gaze. A hint at the River Amy really knew. "How much further?" Her temper returned as she snapped at the Doctor. She didn't get an answer as the Doctor stopped in his tracks and began looking around the clearing they had stopped in.

"What is it? What's wrong?

Amy felt the pit of her stomach drop as she caught sight of the huge crater in the middle of the clearing. She didn't need the Doctor to answer River's question as she realised what she was staring at. Or what she should have been looking at. "The TARDIS. It's gone."


	4. Chapter 4

"Where is it?" The Doctor threw his hands in the air as he ran around the hole in the ground that had previously been home to his ship. He went to pull out his screwdriver and groaned in frustration as he remembered it was inside the TARDIS. It would have taken care of Amy's collar even if it couldn't give him any indication as to the whereabouts of the TARDIS.

"Perhaps the Doctor has her?"

"I am the Doctor!" He was in no mood for River's sarcastic comments. River fell silent, seeming to pick up on the passion and desperation in his voice. He turned his back to the two girls and knelt down beside the crater. He touched the earth and brought his fingertip to his mouth, darting his tongue out to taste the earth.

"Eugh." Amy pulled a face, but River watched him intently as he tasted the mud. He leaped over to the other side of the crater and stared at the inside.

"Something came up from below. Whatever it was it took the TARDIS with them." His gaze was dark and intent as he kicked the earth with his foot.

"Sirullians?" Amy wasn't quite sure why the thought of the Sirrulian race left her with a hollow dread in the pit of her stomach. The Doctor finally gave up what he was doing and made his way back over to Amy. Concern etched all over his young face.

"No. No. Something else. Something different. Something old. There are caves under the forest aren't there?" His accusing gaze turned to River. "You're not just excavating the forest are you?"

River stared back at him. Weighing up her options. She scanned the surrounding forest and sighed. "Insufferable know-it-all with a habit of putting things in his mouth and a beautiful companion...you just might be the Doctor. It still doesn't make you my Doctor. Come on, we'll get back to camp and I'll fill you in."

"I need my TARDIS!" The Doctor whined like a child who had just been told to go to bed without his favourite toy.

"We need to get out of the open...Doctor. So get moving." She clamped her hand around Amy's wrist and started dragging her out of the clearing. Amy was about to protest when she caught the look on the Doctor's face. She decided it was one of those times she was best keeping quiet and silently allowed River to lead her back to the camp. Her fingers slipped from her wrist and took hold of her hand. The grip was still tight, but it was slightly more familiar. Her powerful legs took long and purposeful strides, making Amy thankful for her own long legs.

They reached the camp and went in to one of the smaller tents. It had a certain feminine touch despite all the tools and dusty old books littered around the floor. It was River's tent. Doug left them to it, though it took some persuasion on River's part. Amy took a seat on the camp bed in the corner of the room, thankful to finally be sitting on something other than dirt. River took two beers out of a cooler for herself and Amy and handed the Doctor a bottle of water. "What's going on River?" He didn't wait for her to take a seat before he rounded on her. "Where are we? And what are you doing here?"

River took her time answering, popping the cap off her bottle with her knife she did the same for Amy before turning back to face the Doctor. "We're in Northumberland, in what's left of the ancient forests of Jesmond. Fifty one twenty five before you ask-"

"Wait? Do you mean Jesmond Dene?" Amy scoffed. "I went there with Aunt Sharon was hardly a forest, just a river, a few trees and a petting zoo-"

"She's from the twenty-first century." The Doctor answered before River could comment. "In the late twenty-fifth century most of the region was destroyed. The forest grew out to the land around it, and three thousand years later you have the forest of Jesmond. There are houses and little shops and parks buried deep beneath the ground-"

"As well as the original dene. We think that the river still flows, carving underground caves throughout much of this part of the forest." River added, not liking the way the Doctor had taken over her history lesson.

"And just what is inside those caves?" The Doctor interjected, his expression once more grave. "There's something down there isn't there? Something that keeps attacking your base. Something that stole my TARDIS!"

"You stole it first sweetie." River smiled a sickly sweet smile at him, which soured his mood further. "We don't know what's down there. The caves are off limit. We're only allowed to excavate the surface. Something's been attacking us though. The fires, the holes in the ground...we lost one of our team two days ago. There was a crater just like there was with the TARDIS." The Doctor rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You didn't listen did you? You're trying to get in to the caves!"

"Of course. Three thousand year old mysterious caves...neither of us could resist now, could we Doctor?" Her words were a challenge he wasn't prepared to rise to.

"I want my TARDIS back." He sulked, once again sounding like a petulant child.

"We're still trying to get in to the caves. It's going to take a couple of days. If the TARDIS is down there we'll find her." Her tone suggested she still wasn't sure the man before her was the Doctor. The TARDIS would be the proof she needed. "Until then you're welcome to stay here with us. Doug will put you up in his tent Doctor...Amy can stay in here with me."

"Amy stays with me." The Doctor was as equally distrustful of River Song as she was of him. The young blonde smirked and ran a finger over the silver collar around Amy's neck. The redhead shuddered from the touch and glared at her.

"This says she stays with me Doctor. And it will be staying on her until I see the TARDIS."


	5. Chapter 5

"Sorry I don't have any pyjamas." River turned her back to give Amy some privacy as the younger girl peeled off her ripped tights and skirt, stripping down to her T-shirt and underwear. "Don't wear them." River was already in a tank top and a pair of shorts. Amy slipped under the covers of the camp bed before the older woman turned around.

"It's fine." Amy mumbled, realising how tired she was as her head hit the pillow. The camp bed was a little bigger than a single, but as River joined the other woman there was very little space.

River's breath was warm against her neck, a stark contrast to the cold silver collar. Amy had never really had any serious relationships, and sharing a bed was something she wasn't used to. Yet it was oddly familiar. She fidgeted with the collar again.

"Why won't this come off?" She grumbled, irritated at still having it on her.

"It's bio-sensitive. It's programmed to respond to my DNA. It takes a certain touch." River's fingers lightly danced over the silver choker. The necklace stayed in place, but Amy shuddered at the contact. How long had it been since someone had touched her like that? Had anyone touched her like that? Her memory was clouded, as she tried to remember her past in Leadworth it was like some sort of fog had settled over her brain.

"I bet you say that to all the girls." Amy was half asleep as she mumbled in to her pillow. The other woman chuckled at the remark. She silently watched Amy as she fell in to a deep sleep.

"I bet you keep the Doctor on his toes Amy Pond." She smirked at the sleeping girl. The Doctor certainly chose his companions well.

"Rise and shine sleepy head." Amy groaned as River's sing song voice roused her from her slumber.

"What time is it?" Her words were choked in her pillow, but the blonde still got the gist of them.

"Six thirty." River replied with a grin as Amy let out another groan. "Come on. It's breakfast time. Then we have to get to work getting in to those caves. If we don't get the TARDIS back you and the Doctor will be stuck in the fifty-first century for quite some time. I'm sure you'd miss your home?" Amy sat up as she registered River's words. She knew that if they didn't get the TARDIS back then history would change. Older River would not think to leave the message for the Doctor about the Byzanthiem and the Angels would not be stopped. She felt a cold shiver at the thought of the Angels spreading across the universe. Had it not been for River transporting her out of the forest they would have killed her.

As far as her own time went she wasn't exactly going to miss Leadworth. "There's nothing for me back home." The statement was true enough, except for maybe Aunt Sharon, but even as it left her lips it didn't feel right. She felt as though there should have been something waiting for her back in Leadworth. The emptiness began to seep in to her once more and not for the first time she felt like she had forgotten something important.

River chose to change the conversation and tossed her a pair of black combat pants. "Here, these might be a little more practical than your skirt." She flashed her a teasing smile before leaving the tent to give her some privacy. She found the Doctor waiting outside for her.

"Where's Amy?" He narrowed his eyes as River stepped in his way, stopping him from going inside the tent.

"She's getting changed." River stood as close to the door as possible, trying to stay within five feet of Amy. The Doctor stared at her intently, as though her expression might tell him something that River wasn't. They stood in tense silence until Amy emerged from the tent and interrupted them. She wore River's combat pants and her own red T-shirt. Her hair was pulled back off her face and she looked expectantly at the Doctor.

"Right. Are we getting the TARDIS back or what?"

"Remind me again why we're not helping the Doctor get in to the caves?" Amy whined as she sat in one of the trenches brushing rocks with something that resembled an electric toothbrush.

"Because the Doctor doesn't want you near any explosives. Here." River took hold of Amy's hand, guiding the whirring toothbrush like tool and began gently moving it over the dirt in a circular motion. The chunk of rock she had been polishing began to give way to reveal a fossilized MP3 player. "These devices were popular for listening to music in the early twenty first century and-" She stopped as Amy failed to stifle a giggle. She stared down at the music player, identical to the one she had on the TARDIS and couldn't help her laughter.

"If we ever get the TARDIS back I'll show you a working one."

The hint of a blush crept over River's tanned cheeks. "Sorry, I forgot you're from then. I'm used to being able to wow my students with finds like these. I guess it will take a bit more to impress you."

"Quite a bit more actually." Amy teased. She was enjoying the older woman's company a lot more since she had began to relax a bit around Amy and the Doctor. "So you're a Doctor already? How old are you anyway?" River let go of her hand and returned to sitting on the edge of the trench, letting her legs dangle over the end.

"Twenty five. I first met the doctor when I was seventeen...he took me to see the battle of Waterloo, the fall of Rome, Y2K. He was the one who got me interested in history. He's not too keen on archeologists, but I don't think he holds it against me."

"Seventeen?" Amy knew next to nothing about River, apart from the fact that she had a rather strange relationship with the Doctor and was possibly his wife. "Did your parents mind you leaving with him?" She had apparently said the wrong thing as River's expression fell. The older woman began to close in on herself once more.

"I'm an orphan, they died when I was very young...what about you? Do your parents mind you whizzing around time and space with a madman in a box?" It was Amy's turn to become sheepish as she focused on removing more of the dirt from around the music player and replied in a small voice.

"I don't have any parents. I have my aunt Sharon. She won't really miss me, and the Doctor said he can get me back to the day after he took me." She wasn't entirely sure why she had made that request the night he had offered to whisk her away. It had seemed important at the time, but she couldn't for the life of her think what 'stuff' would make her want to leave her life with the Doctor.

River had a knack of reading people, and she guessed Amy did not want to share how her parents had died anymore than she herself did. "I guess that's something else we've got in common. Two lost girls together." She pushed herself up to her feet and dusted her pants off before offering Amy her hand. "Come on Pond, I'll show you something really impressive." Everything about her, from her tone to her devious expression, was a challenge Amy could not resist.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm sorry, but how is this meant to impress me? We have waterfalls back in my time too you know." Amy stood at the side of the embankment, hands on hips, watching the water fall from above and crash in to the basin of water below. River just gave her a cheeky smile as she undid her boots and pulled off her socks. Rolling her combats up to her knees, revealing toned legs as tanned as the rest of her body, she waded in to the water and held her hands out at her sides. Amy was about to speak again when something began to glow in the water. Without warning a dozen glowing orbs shot up to the surface and surrounded the young archeologist.

"River!" Amy darted forward on instinct.

"It's alright." River's tone was calm and lazy as the golden orbs bobbed around her in increasingly complicated patterns. A few had dropped beneath the surface when Amy had shouted but they soon popped back up and joined their brethren in dancing around River's form. "They're just goldfish."

"Goldfish?" Amy's jaw dropped at the sight of the perfectly circular glowing orbs. "I had a goldfish once, it did not look like that!" River laughed as she made her way back to the edge and pulled herself out of the water.

"It's evolution Amy. Three thousand years is a long time." Her tone was slightly patronizing and Amy couldn't resist snapping back.

"Yeah well in three thousand years the human race hasn't turned spherical and luminous!"

"Really? Well you look like you're glowing to me." River's retort was unexpected and silenced Amy. "Coming in Pond?"

Amy looked at the water, unusually clear for a waterfall in the middle of forest, and the glowing orbs in the water. "I don't have a bathing suite." Her excuse was feeble and River shot it down straight away with a wink.

"Neither do I." She pulled her tee shirt over her head and unbuttoned her pants before shimmying out of them. Amy's eyes never left her the whole time as she made her way over to the edge and dived in with the grace of an Olympic swimmer. "Aren't you coming in? The water's lovely."

Despite her better judgment Amy found her hands hovering at the zip of her pants. "This collar thing won't shock me will it? I don't want to electrocute myself!" River laughed as she began doing a backstroke through the water, the swarm of gold floating beside her the whole time. Grumbling Amy kicked off her converse and dropped her pants. Her tee shirt followed suit and ended up in a pile with River's clothes. She cautiously walked over to the edge and dipped her big toe in to the water.

"It's warm!" She was amazed to find the water a comfortable temperature. It felt like an indoor swimming pool.

"The goldfish are very cold blooded, to keep themselves cool they release their excess body heat through their skin. There are probably hundreds of them in this body of water alone." River spoke like she was giving a lecture, not floating on her back in the middle of a forest.

Throwing caution to the wind Amy dived in to the water, though her dive had none of River's grace as she took a running jump and curled her legs up, throwing herself in to the water like she were some sort of human hand grenade. The goldfish ducked beneath the surface once more as the water rippled from Amy's entrance. Within a matter of seconds they returned, accompanied by yet more glowing orbs. Amy laughed as they tickled her bare skin. With dozens of them around her it felt like she was receiving a massage while sitting in a Jacuzzi. She lay on her back, silently indulging in the tranquility. She had lost track of River all together.

That was until something grabbed her leg from beneath the water and pulled her down. Her screams were lost as water filled her mouth and rushed up her nose. She kicked against her attacker as she fought her way back to the surface. Once there she found River crying with laughter at the sight of her. Her hair was plastered to her head and she was coughing and spluttering in an attempt to get the water out of her lungs. River began to apologise, even though she was still laughing at her, but the fiery Scott gave her no chance.

She pushed her hands through the water, sending a wave full of golden fish flying towards her. River screamed, a rather girly sound for the time travelling archeologist, and tried to duck out of the way. Part of the splash still caught her and she turned on Amy, a mischievous glint in her eye. She sent a splash back at her, soaking the redhead once more. Their peaceful swim descended in to all out war as each girl tried to splash the other. After Amy's last splash River had a goldfish bobbing up and down in her hair and the younger girl could not control her laughter. River ducked down in to the water to release the fish and Amy waited patiently for her to resurface. Fully intending to catch her off guard. After a few moments she still had not resurfaced and Doctor's companion began to worry. "River?" She called out but only the sounds of the forest answered her. Surely she had to be within five feet of her, or the collar would have shocked her. She saw a school of goldfish, glowing deep beneath the surface, and watched as they raced towards her. River.

She turned and swam towards the surface as fast as she could, intending to get there before the older woman could get her hands on her. She had just reached the edge when River shot up and spun her around to face her, pinning her against the edge. Her hands came to rest on Amy's shoulders and the younger girl was painfully aware of how close they were. Her breathing hitched as she felt the older woman's body pressed firmly against her own. River wore a devilish grin as she stared Amy in the eye. She pushed down slight, intending to dunk her, and the other girl's hands shot on to her shoulders. To any onlookers they would have looked like a pair of embracing lovers. Amy giggled as River tried to dunk her again and was dragged down with her. Realising she would be dragged under too River wrestled with the redhead and manage to take hold of her arms and pin them above her head.

Amy felt exposed as the blonde held her arms high above her head, using her body to keep her pinned to the side. She was aware of every inch of flesh that was pressed against her and her mind was racing. "Mercy!" She giggled as she came to the conclusion that she was in fact at River's mercy. Why this thought excited her she wasn't sure. Adrenaline raced through her body from the chase and endorphins began to flood her body, making her light headed and giddy.

"Say it again." River's tone was husky in her ear and the words slipped from Amy's mouth without a second thought.

"Mercy." She was no longer giggling, they bobbed up and down in the water, their bodies pressed so tightly together that Amy felt each breath River took.

She wasn't quite sure why she stayed so perfectly still as River's lips came forward and found her own. Nor was she sure why she felt the temperature of the water rise phenomenally as she kissed her back. The kiss was brief yet intense, as each woman fought for control. River's teeth nipped against Amy's lower lip, stirring a guttural groan from deep inside the younger girl. The blonde pulled back smugly, admiring her ability to render Amy Pond speechless.

Her gloating was short lived however, as Amy's hands found her shoulders once more and she quickly shoved her down beneath the surface. She was in hysterics as she clambered out of the water, River hot on her tail. She ran from the smirking blonde, not that she could get very far from her without become a human lightening rod, but she still ran.

River was quick on her feet. Obviously befriending the Doctor at a young age had done wonders for her running ability and she caught Amy just as she reached the edge of the trees. The young Scott giggled uncontrollably as River caught hold of her and pushed her up against a tree. Her laughter died as the kissing started again. With her hands now free she let them roam of River's finally toned body. She had never kissed another girl before. Though she'd had girl crushes in her time, Leadworth was hardly the place for experimentation. Though Jeff seemed to manage quite well...

She tried to think about her first kiss but came up blank. She had kissed the Doctor after escaping from the Angels, though as River began to kiss her even more passionately she began to wish she had tried it on with the blonde instead. There had been the strangers she had given a quick peck to as part of her job, but before that...She was fairly certain she had first kissed a boy at the age of nine. Standing in her garden playing Raggedy Doctor. Alone. Except that couldn't be right if she'd gotten her first kiss that day.

She felt light headed and thoroughly confused. Something was missing. Why couldn't she remember her first kiss? Why was her first memory of kissing anybody the night she had started her job as a kiss-a-gram? She pulled back as River's fingers brushed against the hem of her underwear. "Amy?" Her voice was tender and full of concern as Amy pushed her away and shook her head.

"I'm sorry. That was I mistake, I..." She didn't finish making her excuses. The adrenaline coursing through her carried her through the forest as she ran from the other woman. Ran from the reality of what she had just done.

She got just over five feet from her when the collar went off.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **References to the events of the series 4 episode Forest of the Dead.

Amy was on her hands and knees when River caught up to her. The electric current had been little more than a sharp sting, but the shock to her already exhausted system had left her stunned and gasping for air on the floor of the forest. "Take deep breaths." River knelt beside her and placed a hand on the small of her back, intending to comfort her. Amy flinched and pulled away.

"Get this thing off me! Now!"

"No." River's voice was it's usual calm and detatched self, as though they were once again strangers. "If I take it off now you'll go running off in to the woods and probably get lost. Then the Doctor will kill me. The collar stays on."

Amy knew there was no point in protesting. In all honesty she knew River was right. She sat down on a tree that had been uprooted and held her head in her hands as though she could physically stop her mind from falling apart. Kissing River had not been unenjoyable. It had been everything attatched to the kiss that had freaked her out.

The Doctor had warned her how easily time could be re-written and she had just kissed his future wife! She cursed herself at the thought of changing the future for both River and the Doctor. The lonely Doctor, the very last of his kind, he deserved to have someone. Then there was her inability to recall her first kiss and the emptiness inside of her as she tried to will herself to remember. It was as though part of her had been taken away and the feeling unnerved her. She didn't mean to take it out on River, but the collar going off had been the final straw and they walked back to the camp in silence.

River returned to one of the trenches while Amy sat on the edge with a book one of the other archeologists had borrwed her. Every time River snuck a glance at the younger girl her head was buried in the book. It was a trashy romance novel, but for Amy it was more like science fiction. She couldn't get her head around things like transporters and 3-D hollograms in real life. She feigned interest in the book so that she would not have to speak to River. She was still angry at the other woman for the incident with the collar, but she was also ashamed at how she had reacted to the kiss.

The Doctor returned with the team that had been working on the entrance to the cave. His jacket was slung over his shoulder and his shirts sleeves were rolled up. His bare arms and the legs of his trousers were covered in dirt. His bowtie hun loosely around his neck and his hair was more ruffled than usual. He looked rather raggedy. He caught Amy smiling at him and seemed to pick up on the joke. He managed a weak smile in return. Doing things the human way was beggining to take its toll on the poor Doctor.

"We should be in the caves by tomorrow evening." Doug announced as they all sat around the dining table that had been errected in the middle of the clearing.

Amy sat at the far end of the table with him, a young black woman and her baby. The woman looked concerned as Doug spoke.

"You're not going down there though, are you?"

"Of course. River needs me." Doug spoke like a true second in command.

"Your child needs a father!" His wife snapped back. "We don't even know what's down there! Whatever it is it took Sean and Kate!"

"Doug's not coming." River spoke before Doug could answer. She spoke with an air of authority that left no room for arguement. "Zara's right. Anita needs a father."

The Doctor choked on his soup, catching the attention of everyone at the table. His eyes widened in horror as they settled on the little girl squirming in her mother's arms. Anita. "Excuse me." He dismissed himself from the table. River went to follow him, but stopped as she caught sight of Amy.

"Are you coming or not?" The younger girl got to her feet and followed River in to the woods to find him. "You know something I don't, don't you?" The blonde had known the Doctor long enough to know when he was keeping something from her.

"Makes a change." He smiled absently. He couldn't tell her about the little girl who would grow up in to a strong woman. A woman who would face her own death with only a few tears. He couldn't tell her about Anita's death anymore than he could warn her about her events in the Library were fixed. He could not change them. No matter how much he wanted to.

"You should have the TARDIS back by tomorrow night." River tried to cheer him up, aware of how close he was to the sentient ship.

"Yep, just need to find out what took it first, and where it is in a maze of underground caves, and why whatever took it has been attacking your people...simple really. Should be home in time for tea. We could have fish custard?" Amy was used to the Doctor's mood swings and laughed his comments off.

"You're not making me eat that again! After this trip buddy you're taking me for dinner! Somewhere very expensive!"

"That's settled then." River took the Doctor's arm as she led them back to the camp. "By tomorrow evening you'll be gone. Both of you." She didn't give Amy a second glance.


	8. Chapter 8

Amy lay on River's camp bed, the book from earlier still in her hands. Not that she was actually reading it. She lay with the blanket over her lap, her combats lying on the floor. River sat at a makeshift desk, sketching out the dig site and the artifacts that had been found that day. It was late and the Doctor had called it a day, leaving the two women alone in the tent. It had been more than an hour since he had left to join Doug and his wife in their tent and not one word had passed between the two women. Amy had begun to feel guilty about the way she had reacted. She had after all lead the other woman on, whether accidentally or not, she hadn't deserved to bear the brunt of Amy's wrath.

"I'm sorry about before." She broke the tense silence as she put her book down and tucked her legs up to her chest. "I just-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me." River's reply was terse. She did not even look up from the page she was drawing on.

"Explain myself?" Her words had the younger girl back on the defensive. "I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone else. I was trying to apologise to you!" Amy was on her feet before she knew what she was doing and standing over River in little more than her T-shirt and her underwear.

"And you're doing an excellent job of apologising." The blonde snapped, equally irritated by the other woman.

"You know what, you're not even worth it! We'll have the TARDIS back tomorrow and I won't ever have to put up with you again!" As Amy shouted she forgot about the small fact that River would meet her again on the Byzanthiem and save her life.

"Put up with me?" The crate River was sitting on was knocked over as she jumped to her feet. "You put up with me?You are the most infuriating _child_ I have ever met!"

"Good!" The redhead screamed back at her and spun on her heels, intending to make use of the five feet of space she had.

She yelped as River's hand clamped around her wrist and she spun her back around to face her. She barely had time to register what had happened before River's lips became locked to her own. Her hands instantly shot up to the other woman's shoulders; though not to push her away. Her arms wrapped around the blonde, pulling them closer together. The kiss was far more fierce than their first. There was nothing chaste or reserved about it as their lips clashed. Amy squeaked as River picked her up off her feet. She wrapped her legs around the other woman's waist, giggling as the blonde stumbled towards the camp bed. She almost broke her neck on Amy's pants before they dropped unceremoniously on to the camp bed in a tangle of limbs. Their lips never parted.

"Clothes." Amy panted for breath as River finally pulled away.

"What about them?" River's lips found the pulse point on her neck and began mercilessly sucking at it.

"You're wearing too many." Amy's hands ran over her lean body and found the hem of her T-shirt. She tugged it off, pulling away from River just long enough to get the garment over her head. River followed suit and removed Amy's T-shirt before her hands returned to exploring the younger girl's body. The Scott squirmed beneath her, keen to be on top and in charge, she flipped them over so that she was straddling the other woman and stripped her of her pants.

"That's not how I play sweetie." River easily reversed their positions so that she once again had Amy's body pinned beneath her own. Amy bucked against her, earning a playful scowl from the older woman. "Now Amy, you either play nice, or-"

"Or not at all?" The teasing redhead bucked her hips up, rubbing herself against the older woman. The involuntary groan that escaped River's lips made Amy feel a little more in control and she tried to illicit the reaction again. River's powerful thighs clamped around her legs, keeping her in place.

"Or, I play naughty." Amy stiffened as River reached down the side of the camp bed and brought out her knife. She softly ran the tip of the blade down the younger girl's flat stomach until she reached the waistband of her underwear. Her eyes never left Amy's, her intense gaze re-assured her that she would never hurt her. The game was all about being in control, and River had no intentions of losing.

She skillfully sliced through the thin material in one fluid motion. "You've done this before." Amy grinned as River lifted her hips up and pulled the material out from under her. The entire experience was downright bizarre for the girl from Leadworth and as far from her normal life as she could get. It was oddly comforting.

"Oh, sweetie." River laughed softly as she tossed the switchblade aside and turned her attention the inside of Amy's thigh. Her teeth and lips nipped and sucked until a dark bruise formed on the pale flesh. Marking her. "I haven't even started."

Amy gasped as her mouth suddenly found a new area to explore. Her tongue darted out against Amy's sensitive flesh, ripping a moan from the young woman's lips. Trust River to skip the foreplay.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Apologies for the lack of updates yesterday and today, just started back at work after a bout of chicken pox (courtesy of my nephew) so won't have as much time to write fic. This story is my main priority at the moment though so will try to update as often as is humanly possible.

Amy Pond was most definitely not a morning person. Waking her at the crack of dawn was an almost insurmountable challenge, but River Song seemed to have found a fool proof way to get the younger woman to wake up. She left a trail of feather light kisses down the redhead's neck before moving up to her lips. A decidedly satisfied noise left Amy's mouth as her lips began to respond to the other woman's prompting. As her eyes slowly opened she offered the blonde a sleepy smile. She stretched her heavy limbs, content in the knowledge that aches in her stiff and tired muscles came from a night of extremely satisfying activities.

"Morning sleepy head." River lay resting on her elbow, leaning over Amy and smiling down at the Doctor's companion. Uncertain of how the other girl would react once she was fully awake, her usual bravado and confidence were absent. She felt awkward and unsure of herself, like she was a teenager again.

"Morning." Amy mumbled, offering her a goofy smile as she tentatively sat up to kiss her again. She was apprehensive at first, unsure if the night before had been a one time thing or the start of something new. River eagerly kissed her back, her hands slipping under the covers to reclaim Amy's flesh. Any apprehension the pair had was quickly dispelled as the older woman gently pushed Amy back down on to the bed and once more lay on top of her. The redhead gasped as she felt River's knee firmly between her legs, pushing up against her still sensitive flesh. Her arms wrapped around the blonde's neck as she crushed their lips together. All traces of sleep had vanished and Amy was definitely wide awake as River's hand replaced her knee. The younger girl moaned as River's skillfull fingers got to work. If there was one thing Amy Pond enjoyed about mornings it was morning sex.

Though she couldn't really remember ever having sex before. She was fairly certain she had, she just couldn't recall much about it. The boy had been caring and patient, scared of hurting her. He was loving and attentive and she was sure he had been her first kiss too, but she couldn't think of his name nor conjure his face in her mind. The familiar emptiness began to try to seep in to her consciousness, but the attention River was lavishing on her body left no room inside of her for anything else and her mind began to clear as she felt herself getting closer and closer to the edge.

"River is Amy-" Both girls froze as the Doctor walked in to the tent, not bothering to knock as usual. Though how he could knock on canvas was debatable, he could have at least asked if they were decent before strolling in. As Amy lay flushed and naked beneath River's equally naked body she was most certainly not decent. The Doctor stood still and silent, taking in the scene before him.

"Doctor-" River started, but he did not want to listen. Without another word he turned on his heels and left.

"Oh no." Amy sighed in to her hands. She guessed he was less than happy at catching his companion and future wife in the middle of the act. The pressure between her legs was a painful reminder that they had in fact been in the middle of it, but there was no time to do anything about it. She pulled away from River and frantically began collecting her clothes.

Her underwear, what was left of them, lay discarded on the floor and she had no choice but to just pull her combats on. She dressed in the clothes from the day before, her skin flushed and her hair a tangled mess. She pulled her hair up to try and look a little more presentable and a little less, well, _shagged_. River had the sense not to stop her as she ran after the Doctor. She caught up with him not far from the tent and called out to him. "Doctor! Doctor wait!" He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. What she saw on his face broke her heart there and then. It was not anger or jealousy. It was sadness. Raw, unguarded, devastation. "I can explain...I know River's going to be your wife and everything and I'm really sorry. It just-"

He surprised her with a laugh. "Amy, I can assure you, I have no intentions of marrying River Song. Nor will I ever.

"But, then why are you so pissed at me?" His face fell at her question. How could he answer her? She would never be able to understand his sadness at the death of a man who had never existed. A man who she herself should have been grieving for. To make her understand he would have to tell her about Rory. About how he had been stolen from her memories. He could not burden her with the responsibility of grieving for a lover she did not even know she'd lost. Remembering Rory Williams was his burden alone. "Have you ever been in love Doctor?" Her question caught him off gaud and his brooding gaze answered for him.

"Once. A long time ago." He looked so ancient as he stood there, thinking back on his past. It was often easy for Amy to to forget he was a nine hundred and seven year old alien, but there was no denying the brooding man before her was ancient. "After my home planet was destroyed I became such a bitter man. I travelled around by myself for quite some time. Then I met her." A small smile graced his lips.

"She changed me. Made me a better man...and then the Daleks came, and the Cybermen...I lost her. Twice." He let out something of a snort. "I let her go. Gave her to someone else..."

"What was her name?" Amy had never seen the Doctor quite so open with her before and she intended to make the most of his unusual mood.

"What does it matter?" Just as quickly as he had opened up he began to fold back in on himself again and he dismissed her question. "It was all another lifetime ago."

"I don't think I've ever been in love." Amy's response was like a slap in the face. He wanted to take hold of her and share his memories with her. The only remaining trace of Rory Williams, her childhood friend and lover. He knew the images she saw would only scare and confuse her, so he fell in to silence. "You know, River gets under my skin like nobody else...Nobody can make me so mad and so giddy at the same time...well except maybe you." She flashed him a teasing smile.

"Well Pond it sounds like you're falling. He looked past her to stare at River as she hovered around in front of the tent, waiting for Amy to return. Amy followed his gaze and then turned to face him again. "Catch me?"

"Of course." He nodded towards River, silently giving his consent. Amy needed someone and Rory was gone. "Go on. You two kids go have fun."


End file.
